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Creation of a novel herpes vaccine that protects against new and latent infections in animal model

Institution:

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Researchers:

William Jacobs, Jr., PhD, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and professor of microbiology & immunology and of genetics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Betsy Herold, M.D., vice chair for research and chief of infectious disease in the department of pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System

Impact:

Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) affects 500 million people worldwide but there is no vaccine or cure for existing infection. By using a counterintuitive scientific approach, the researchers developed a novel vaccine for herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), the virus that causes genital herpes. The researchers focused on stimulating that production of antibodies for a part of the virus that was previously ignored. It provided successful in mice and the researchers are currently refining their compounds.